Heritage Assessment: The Usefulness of Applying Heritage Assessment to Evaluate the Needs of Families

Heritage Assessment: The Usefulness of Applying Heritage Assessment to Evaluate the Needs of Families

Grand Canyon University: NRS-430V

Heritage Assessment: The Usefulness of Applying Heritage Assessment to Evaluate the Needs of Families

Assessment is the first stage of the nursing process and allows the nurse to tackle a holistic information of the patient, reviewing all of the patient’s demands in order to establish their problems. However, the Heritage Assessment Tool, in a form of questionnaire, assesses the dominant national, faith, beliefs, cultural inheritance, and health traditions of an individual. The tool enables healthcare provider to assist with efficient patient care as well as build a therapeutic rapport and healing approach. The utmost priority for nurses is being able to provide excellent patient care. Cultural competence awareness is one criteria that support nurses to provide efficient and quality patient care. Culturally competent encloses more than just inquiring a patient’s place of birth. Owing to the fact that America’s population comprise of many nationals from all over the world (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014).

USEFULNESS OF APPLYING HERITAGE ASSESSMENT

The usefulness of applying heritage assessment tool to analyze (3) culturally diverse families will be elaborated in this paper. The African, Mexican American, and Mexican will be match-up to identify the contrast in health protection, maintenance and restoration, practices, and common health traditions. The heritage assessment tool comprise of (29) questions that notably hits on the individual’s cultural background, religious routine, beliefs, and family connection. That is, how the patient’s parents were raised and the impact on their way of living. This assessment on the (3) families, is to foster an awareness on how functional the heritage assessment tool is. It places the healthcare provider and patient on a position where both can feel ease with interaction, and communication in order to provide standard and quality care. However, upon the (3) assessment, the heritage assessment tool lacks cultural details such as what people do and how they maintain health. This drawback prevents in identifying comprehensive health practices and specific needs of the patient if further interrogation or culturally inclined assessment is not implemented. Therefore, using the heritage assessment tool alone to retain diverse health practices and maintenance is not fully achievable if further details on cultural information is not heightened.

In order to achieve a culturally and holistic care with the heritage assessment tool, it is left for providers to incorporate the “cross culture approach” together with cultural competence to assess and deliver care. Cross culture approach, a newer approach to culturally competent clinical practice focuses on foundational communication skills, awareness of cross-cutting cultural and social issues, and health beliefs that are present in all cultures. We can think of these as universal human beliefs, needs, and traits. This approach relies on identifying and negotiating different styles of communication, decision-making preferences, roles of family, sexual and gender issues, and issues of mistrust, prejudice, and racism, among other factors (Epner et al., 2012).

COMMON HEALTH TRADITIONS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE THREE CULTURES

Family one, is Samuel from West Africa, Ghana, a country that I also hail from. Samuel share the same culture with me. His wife is a Ghanaian born, and a U.S citizen by naturalization. Both couples are Christians, Pentecostals to be precise, with a strong standing African beliefs. To his family, church, and cultural practices are a priority. To sustain health, they believe in daily prayer and bible reading, as well as doing the will of christ.(cap) Their believe is that, following the ten commandment, abiding by the will of God, and doing good sustains the life of man. They participate in several christian (cap) fellowship, and yearly festivals. Samuel’s wife sings at church, and participate in church activities. They live close to family relatives, with the idea of being able help each other when the need be. They love their traditional African wear, and cook almost every day. They believe in healthy lifestyles and debunks the American fast foods. In fact samuel (cap) mentioned that, it is a shame for a married woman to buy food outside for his husband. In doing so, the woman is regarded as a lazy woman and not well trained by the mother. So it is mandatory for every woman qualified for marriage to know how to cook. For Ghanaians it is a priority. Samuel’s culture also believe in traditional remedies to maintain health. Samuel also mention to me that drinking of alcohol is forbidden both in his Christian religion and culture. In his culture one who drinks is regarded as useless. I noticed both Samuel and wife have a beautiful flawless skin, so I asked what their health maintenance on their skin is. He unveiled the use of raw shea butter without refine, or chemical additives. They both have been using this since infancy. “Almost every mother uses it on his child” he said. It is one of their home remedies practiced from ancient time till date. He mentioned that education has opened their eyes and mind so they seek medical help when need be, yet utilizes traditional home remedies to treat minor illness. There is no doubt that Samuel and his wife are culturally rooted with family connectedness and cultural inheritance as well as health protection and maintenance.

Family two, Angela, an American born with a Mexican background. According to Angela, her parents migrated to the U.S during the time that Mexico was part of the United. She was born and baptized as a Catholic. She mentioned that, she does not practice her religion yet she believes in prayer. She lived with both parents until her mother passed away, then placed her dad in a nursing home after he felt sick. Few years later, his dad also passed away. I asked Angela if she still keeps in touch with her family members. She stated “basically my family do not talk ok.” I could sense the anger in her eyes. I realize family bond was an issue and not a priority to her, because all her answers to family question was “No or I do not remember.” However, Angela has one son, who is sick and bedbound. She mentioned my son is my priority as well as my husband. So to say, Angela’s nuclear family is her priority excluding her extended family. She does not participate in any religious festivals, and nothing culturally related. She speaks English with an American accent, also legible in writing English but does not speak spanish (caps). Angela’s way of living is solely Americanized and believed in individualism and modern medical treatment. Angela mentioned, she does not practice any cultural home remedies but has a primary care provider for herself, husband, and son. She and her nuclear family maintain health by regular doctor’s check up, and prescription, as well as the normal healthy lifestyle such as exercises, and healthy eating. Comparing family one to family two, family one is culturally, and family oriented. Family one would answer question with full sentence and engaging in the conversation whiles family two is more assertive in answering of questions, the American way, I call it. According to Robert Kohl, U.S. Americans tend to be candid and outspoken in communication with others, and they seldom shy away from disclosing facts about themselves. They prefer “direct” questions and respond with “straight” answers. They employ face-to-face confrontations to resolve difference (stmarksschool.org).

Family three, Guadalupe, a Mexican. She came to the U.S at the age of ten. Both parents migrated to the U.S in their early 40’s. Guadalupe has 4 brothers and 5 sister. When growing up she stayed with both parents and siblings. Her mum passed away but her father still lives. She mentioned, she still keeps in touch with her father, and her siblings. She travels to Mexico once a year. According to her, she was born Catholic but does not practice it as much. Yet she believes in prayer, and loves to sing traditional hispanic (cap) songs around the house. She participates in hispanic festivals, and most family live by and keeps in touch often. I inquired what she does to maintain health and whether she has been impacted with cultural inheritance. She stated, she believes in the hispanic home remedies for health and even uses such. One example she cited, was the fact that is has chronic constipation. One thing she adapted from her mother to treat irregular bowel movement is warm water with lemon. She says, her mum used to give her that and has still been with her. She mentioned, “just take a glass of warm water with a add up of honey and lemon juice before bed. Your colon will thank you!.” She also mentioned how she loves lemon and uses it for almost all her cooking. However, she combines traditional medicines with modern medicine for health maintenance especially her dad. So she believes in both.

Overall, comparing all three families, family one and three, seem to be culturally coherent and family oriented whiles family two, is individualized and Americanized.

CONCLUSION

Heritage Assessment Tool, help to assess the beliefs, cultural inheritance, and health traditions of an individual. Although it helps deliver an excellent diverse care, using it alone does not provide comprehensive information. Therefore in addition to cultural competent, healthcare provider need to add Cross culture approach, an application to culturally competent practice that provides basics to communication skills, insight to cultural and social issues, and health beliefs that are present in all cultures. It is imperative that healthcare providers be informed about cultural competence and cross culture approach to implement diverse care. The key to cultural competence is holistic patient care based on respect, sensitivity, composure, partnership, honesty, astuteness, curiosity, and tolerance. Really, all patient care about is being cared for (Epner et al., 2012).

Reference

Edelman, C., Kudzma, E., Mandle, C. (2014). Health Promotion Throughout the Lifespan, 8th Edition. [Vitalsource]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/978-0-323-09141-1

Epner, D., Baile, W. (2012). Patient-Centered Care: The Key to Cultural Competence. Annals of Oncology, Volume 23, Issue suppl_3, 1 April 2012, Pages 33–42, https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mds086. Retrieved June 27, 2018, from https://academic.oup.com/annonc/article/23/suppl_3/33/207052

Kohl, R. Concepts that Shape the American Way of Life. ST. Mark’s School, Southborough, Massachusetts. Retrieved June 27, 2018 from https://www.stmarksschool.org/campus-life/residential-life/international-students/living-in-the-us/understanding-american-culture/concepts-that-shape-the-american-way-of-life

Heritage Feedback cac

Eunice, you presented three people from different backgrounds [West African, Mexican American, and American that influence their health practices. The heritage assessment application gave some insight into health maintenance, protection and restoration.

You did complete and email the “Heritage Assessment Tool” for each of the three families interviewed and submit the three assessments to: [email protected]?

You were successful in the following criteria:

1)Introduction: The focus of the presentation: Noted approach and tone that covered the concepts assessed

2)Identify common health traditions based on cultural heritage: Done well in all three participants of heritage assessment.

3)Evaluate and discuss how the families scribe to these traditions and practices: In illness first consult with family members, traditions implemented use herbs and home remedies.

4)Address health maintenance, health promotion and health restoration as they relate to your assessment. Spirituality important and staying balanced with health for the three interviewed. Home remedies with traditional and Wester medicine

5) Conclusion clear and concise: Well-presented summary.

Three references (2012-2018) listed and cited on the body of paper in APA format. Watch the age of references. They should be in the last five years unless a classic. cac

Word Count: 1490 (Target 1000-1500). TII 12% Similarity. (Goal to be under 20%)

Subtitles used for organization and ease in reading. Thank you. Watch caps of nouns. cac

Eunice, well-crafted paper. You demonstrated understanding of the diversity and the impact of one’s background on the definition of health and healing in the family. Please connect if you have questions. cac 7-6-18